The Sunday News
Mukudzei Chingwere in Checheche, Chipinge District
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa yesterday commissioned a fully-equipped 24-bed ward and handed over ambulance and medical equipment at St Peter’s Checheche Catholic Mission Hospital in Chipinge District with the equipment expected to go a long way in revamping the hospital’s operations.
The availed equipment and hospital extension is part of a broader national strategy by Government to revamp the national health services towards universal health coverage of quality commensurate with an empowered upper-middle income economy envisioned by the President.
The donated equipment also included 24 hospital beds, four delivery beds, one anaesthetic machine, five oxygen concentrators, four patient monitors, 10 humidifiers, four drip stands and two boxes nasal oxygen cannula. The President was accompanied by Vice-President and Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Constantino Chiwenga and other senior Government officials.
In a brief chat to cheering and ecstatic residents who gathered to witness the equipment, President Mnangagwa said in as much as he was handing over the equipment, appreciative doctors at the hospital had told him of other gaps for which they appealed for Government assistance. To this end, he said he was tasking the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Air Commodore Dr Jasper Chimedza to engage the local authorities, look into the request and deliver on what the community wants.
“We have brought some equipment but I have seen that more is needed, the doctors have told me some of the equipment needed here, it cannot be availed in a single day but we have heard your concerns and we will address them. I am happy that some of the work here was done by your MP (Enock Porusingazi, using devolution funds). I am happy that is what we expect from your representatives, so I can say remember his good work when the elections come.
“(Once again) I have heard your concerns and fortunately the Vice-President is the Minister of Health and Child Care so he understands your concerns. We also have the Permanent Secretary for Health, (Air Commodore Dr Jasper Chimedza) who is also a doctor. I am happy that we have honoured our pledge though not fully,” said President Mnangagwa.
The hospital expansion was undertaken using devolution funds and the Constituency Development Fund by Chipinge South Member of Parliament Cde Enock Porusingazi. The President also took the occasion to donate a state-of-the-art electric wheelchair to Chief Musikavanhu, born Vusani Musikavanhu a gesture which underlines his respect and appreciation of traditional leaders. In turn, the Chief thanked the President for his kind gesture.
“I don’t know how to thank the President for this wheelchair, as you can see its electronic and makes my mobility very easy. More importantly, I want to applaud the Government for their continuous improvement of the health services. Now this hospital can accommodate more patients and it has been equipped with modern equipment. We also had a transport challenge for the sick but Government has solved this problem with this fully equipped ambulance,” said the Chief.
The donation and work done on the hospital will be a huge fillip for the facility in its quest to serve its catchment area estimated to be around 20 000. Before the latest Government intervention, the hospital had an 85-bed capacity but President Mnangagwa is expected to announce the opening of more beds. The ambulance services has been getting particular attention from Government since the coming on board of the Second Republic in 2017.
VP Chiwenga is on record saying an efficient ambulance system through which patients can be efficiently transferred to the next health facility is key towards the attainment of a resilient health system as envisioned by President Mnangagwa. Under the strategy, the Government has established a National Ambulance Directorate and is also moving away from mere “Ambulance” marked vehicles to state-of-the-art fully equipped ambulances complete with manned intensive care units. As part of capacitating the National Ambulance Directorate, Government also established the Accident and Emergency Nursing School in Chivhu which will work very closely with the ambulance directorate.
